Flexible line guide for electric truck



Feb. 28, 1956 E. D. HOBAN 2,736,445

FLEXIBLE LINE GUIDE FOR ELECTRIC TRUCK Filed April 15, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR E. D. HOBAN ATTORNEY Feb. 28, 1956 E. D. HOBAN 2,736,445

FLEXIBLE LINE GUIDE FOR ELECTRIC TRUCK Filed April 15, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR E. D. Hos/w ATTO RNEY United States Patent FLEXIBLE LINE GUIDE FOR ELECTRIC TRUCK Ed a D.- Ho an, P i a ph a, a gr t The p Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamford,

Thisv invention relates to lift trucks, and more particularly to trucks of that class .in which a load manipulator is mounted upon a carriage that moves vertically upon primary uprights. The power for operating the load manipulator in trucks of the particular class is supplied from the, truck, and because of the upward and downward movement of the load carriage upon which the manipulator is mounted, a flexible line is utilized for this purpose. It is important however that the flexible line be protected against wear and damage incidental to the operation of the truck, while also allowing the truck and the manipulator full freedom to operate in the intendedmanner. I have now contributed in a truck of the class described an extremely novel construction that fulfils these requirements by guiding the flexible line in a particular manner.

As an important feature of my invention, I arrange that the. slack in the flexible line will be taken up through a loop of the flexible line that is located always within the vertical extent of the primary uprights and that preferably also does not depart from the uprights to any great extent in a direction longitudinally of the truck. This I accomplish by extending the flexible line from the load manipulator on the carriage over a reel-or sheave wheel that rotates on a horizontal axis upon a top portion of the primary uprights. The flexible line extends from this reel downwardly under a weighted reel that slides vertically directly below the first reel. From the weighted reel the line extends to a power source that in the preferred form of the invention is mounted upon the primary uprights adjacent to the upper reel. Through this arrangement, the slack in the entire length of the flexible line is taken up within a very limited space adjacent the primary uprights as the load carriage moves from the bottom of the primary uprights to positions above these uprights through upward extension of the secondary uprights.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of my invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings: Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating a portion of a lift truck in which is embodied a preferred form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same as it would appear with the load carriage elevated to an intermediate position. Fig. 3 18 2,736,445 Patented Feb. 28, 1956 ICC a side view showing the load carriage elevated on the secondary uprights and also showing the power supply means in a modified arrangement.

I have indicated generally by the letter A in the drawings a lift'truck of the class to which my invention is applied. Mounted upon the front of trucks of this class are primary uprights 10 that carry a load carriage 11 through secondary uprights 12. As will be understood by those acquainted with the art, the load carriage 11 moves vertically relatively to the secondary uprights 12, and the secondary uprights also move relatively to the primary uprights 10 so as to afford movement of the carriage above the primary uprights. I have illustrated upon the carriage 11 a load manipulator13 that has a dumping bucket, although the particular form of the load manipulator is not important to my invention, and-the bucket is shown merely as an example of a power operated means with which my invention may be utilized. Power for operating the manipulator 13 is supplied from the truck through a flexible line that I have shown as a hose 14, but my invention is not at all limited to a hose and also contemplates the use of a wire or cable in those instances in which the manipulator upon the carriage 11 is operated electrically.

In my invention, I utilize for guiding the flexible line or hose 14 an extremely novel arrangement that includes a reel 15 mounted on the top portion of the primary uprights 10. The reel 15 rotates on a horizontal axis, and preferably this axis extends laterally of the uprights and "is located to place the reel 15 at the side of one of the primary uprights 10 immediately below its top. I connect one end of the hose 14 to the load manipulator'13 through a swivel coupling 16 that maintains this end of the hose substantially in the plane of the reel 15 as the load carriage 11 moves vertically on the uprights. The hose 14 extends from the coupling 16 over the reel 15, and will, of course, extend upwardly to this reel when the load carriage 11 is in a lowered position and downwardly to the reel 15 after the coupling passes the reel in the upward movement of the carriage on the secondary uprights 12.

From the reel 15, the hose 14 extends downwardly under a second reel 17 directly below the reel 15 and rotating in the same plane. The reel 17 is mounted through a bracket 18 to slide on a vertical rail 19 on the side of the primary uprights 10, and the weight of the reel 17 and its bracket 15 is made suflicient to hold the hose 14 free from slack. From the reel 17 the hose 14 extends to a swivel coupling 29 that serves as a source of power for operating the load manipulator 13, and that I prefer to mount adjacent the reel 15 on the upper end of the primary uprights 10, as by a support 21. As I have illustrated in Fig. 1, power is supplied from the truck A to the coupling 20 through a hose 22. However, I may utilize as a source of power a pump 20a that .is mounted upon the support 21 and connected directly to the hose 14, as is shown in Fig. 3.

Because of the described arrangement, it will be observed that as the load carriage 11 is elevated from its lowermost position, the weighted reel 17 and the loop of the hose 14 with which it is engaged move downwardly until the carriage is about to pass the upper reel 15, when the reel 17 reverses its vertical movement and moves upwardly while the carriage 11 moves above the primary uprights 10 on the secondary uprights 12. These same movements of the weighted reel 17 and the loop of the hose 14 are repeated when the load carriage moves downwardly, and because of these repeated movements I am enabled to take up a relatively large amount of slack within a very limited zone adjacent to the uprights. The reel does, of course, hold the hose free from slack through an approximately uniform tension regardless of the direction of the movement of the reel upon the guide rail 19. I believe that the construction and operation of my novel hose guide will now be apparent, and that its advantages will be clear to those skilled in the art.

'I now claim: 1. In a truck of the class described, a main frame having primary uprights, secondary uprights sliding vertically onsaid primary uprights, a load carriage sliding vertically on said secondary uprights forwardly of said uprights relatively to said main frame, a load manipulator on said load carriage, a source of power rearwardly of said uprights, a flexible line for carrying power from said source forwardly to said load manipulator on said load carriage, a reel mounted on a primary upright to rotate on a horizontal axis, a mounting member mounted to slide vertically on said primary upright below said reel,

'a second reel carried on said mounting member and roand carriage are raised fully relatively to said primary .uprights.

2. In a truck of the class described, a main frame having primary uprights, secondary uprights sliding vertically on said primary uprights, a load carriage sliding ver- .tically on said secondary uprights forwardly of said uprights relatively to said main frame, a load manipulator on said load carriage, a source of power rearwardly of said uprights, a flexible line for carrying power from said source forwardly to said load manipulator on said load carriage, a reel mounted on a primary upright to rotate on a horizontal axis, a mounting member mounted to slide vertically on said primary upright below said reel, a second reel carried on said mounting member and rotatable on a horizontal axis, said flexible line extending forwardly and downwardly from said source to lead under said second reel from its rear peripheral portion to its forward peripheral portion and then upwardly and rearwardly over said first reel from its rear peripheral por tion to its forward peripheral portion and then to-said carriage, said flexible line being of such length that said second reel lies in a raised position relatively to the first reel when said carriage and secondary uprights are in their lowest position relatively to the primary uprights, said second reel moving with its mounting member to a lowermost position when said carriage is raised relatively to said primary uprights, and said second reel lying in an uppermost position when both said secondary uprights and carriage are raised fully relatively to said primary uprights.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 242,344 Macarty May 31, 1881 1,377,744 Baker May 10, 1921 2,214,759 Bosch, Jr Sept. 17, 1940 2,375,337 Wilson May 8, 1945 2,437,010 Way Mar. 2, 1948 2,457,366' Guerin Dec. 28, 1948 2,503,018 Wittman Apr. 4, 1950 2,574,045 Lapham Nov. 6, 1951 2,599,524 Lahmann June 3, 1952 2,609,113 Huifman Sept. 2,1952 2,611,498 Broersma Sept. 23, 1952 

